Gents,
I apologize to anyone who took exception to my reference to a tech. No demeaning was intended.

I shall go sit in a corner now

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I recently upgraded from my 2004 C5, which I do miss to a 2017 Sting Ray. Now I am no tech-no-weenie, But the "Infotainment system" is fairly complex and I am befuddled with a few things and need your help.
I run Android Auto when driving, I have OnStar for 3 months free and there are a few things I want to do.

1. How do you play Podcasts?
2. Do I need to unplug the Android Auto to play my music from the phone via Bluetooth or is there another way?
3. When playing media via the USB, how do you shuffle the music?
4. Do you really need OnStar if you have Waze or Google Maps?
5. Where can I get more apps? I.e... Weather, traffic, audiobooks?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

1, Don't know. but it's an interesting question.

2.) If you have Google play music, no.

3.) playing media, hit the menu button, then shuffle.

4.) no, but I kept it. I'm rich and a baller...

5.) Not sure, I don't use apps when I'm driving...

 

YOU TUBE is your friend....type in C7 infotainment system, watch and learn....Good Luck

 

Podcasts nd audio books can be played from a USB memory stick just like music. Just make sure they are in a format the car recognizes (MP3, wma, aac, m4a,
and aif). such as the Wall Street journal.

If I recall correctly, there is an applications icon that you use to download applications, but you have no choice what you get. It is a small number of apps, five perhaps, such as the Wall Street Journal. I deleted all of these immediately as I have no interest. I do not know if there is an independent way to choose and download apps.

 

Do you really think that calling people who know tech "weenies" will help your cause of getting them to want to help you?

You use a podcast player on your phone. The car has no such functionality itself. If you have a podcast player you can play your podcast through the car's stereo system using either Bluetooth or USB. Since you speak of Android Auto I would suggest using that. As long as you have a podcast player installed on your phone that supports AA (most do) you should see it listed in the media section under AA. I use Podcast Addict (https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....podcastaddict).

Like podcast players, there are media playing apps that play music too. There are a ton of them (Google Play Music, Spotify, etc.). Again, once installed on your phone they will appear in the same media section in AA. I use Google Play Music. I have long since uploaded all of my songs to GPM and have downloaded them to my phone for local playback. I then set GPM to play downloaded songs only. This alleviates the problem with streaming music from GPM to your car so you don't have interruptions when you happen to be in an area where network connectivity is sparse. I also have all my music on a USB stick in the secret compartment.

WRT Bluetooth - AA uses Bluetooth for phone calls, not for any media playing (either music or podcasts). Music and media from AA go down the USB connection and this is good because USB has a much better frequency response than Bluetooth. But you need to connect the USB which you need to do to run AA anyway.

That's a function of whatever media app you choose to use under AA. For example, using GPM under AA you need to hit shuffle to shuffle music. This can be challenging (but doable) when running under AA as AA doesn't want to let you run apps while driving. You can also set this prior to hooking up to AA. I generally have it on 100% of the time so it's not an issue for me.

If you are playing stuff say directly from a USB to the car with no AA involved at all (IOW you using the Audio Player in the Infotainment system then there's a setting for shuffle music there. I turn that on too but IIRC occasional it turns itself off. Frustrating.

No, not at all. Dump OnStar - it sucks and it pretty much useless

For the car? I think there are like 3 now. Just forget getting apps for the car's infotainment system directory. It, like OnStar, is useless.

For audiobooks, I use Audible's app on my phone through AA. Been using Audible for years now. I believe it's the only thing I have a subscription for at all. I have the subscription as an incentive to read more books. It works for me.

You do know that AA has Google's Assistant built-in now. For weather merely hit the mic button and say "What's the weather" and you'll get a weather report. As for traffic, provided you're navigating under a route in Google Maps in AA, you'll get notified and offered to re-route you to faster routes automatically by GM. Just make sure the sound selection is not fully muted. Note you can also say things like "What's the news?" and "Set my next to 72 degrees" and it will give you a newscast or set your Nest at home (provided you have one - I do) to set the temp to 72 degrees. Very handy here in Phoenix when you're driving home to make sure your place is nice and comfortable when you get home.

AA will do this all by audio. IOW there aren't wild, fullscreen apps what will replace your big screen's projection of AA with say a map of the weather. Such things are deemed too distractive for driving. But speaking the information to you audibly is just fine.

Here's a vid about voice commands you can use
Oh, and as has been said, google "how to use android auto" in YouTube and you'll get videos explaining how to use AA like this:

 

defaria
The word "weenies" has been embraced for years by those who can do this stuff. I use the word as a complement to them. Like EPA Weenies or he is my favorite weenie( Scientist type)
I mean I could see your point if I said Tech *******.

Thanks for the info. really helps. The more I explore the system, the more I am impressed with its capability.

CPO

 

no it hasn't

 

I've been in the tech field for some 40 years now and I am one of those who can do this stuff. I assure you I do not view the term "weenie" as a compliment. And everybody else that I work for and with in the tech field also does not view the word "weenie" as a compliment either. Not sure where you're getting that **** but while most may tolerate it, we surely don't embrace it. While you may think it's a compliment you are offering I assure you it is not often taken as one. It may be that others simply ignore your pleas for help because do you use such terms with them. Food for thought.

 

it's disrespectful and I won't help anyone who feels the need to use similar terms.

 

It will probably go over better in the …"what are you compensating for"....thread.

 

Noted.

 

Good and I hope the more positive attitude gets you better help in the future. Let us know how you make out and if you have any further questions.

Signed,
A Tech dude but not a weenie!

 

OK Tech Dude I do appreciate your constructive criticism.
So far I followed that YouTube and changed the speedometer then forgot how to change it back, then found it after a panic attack. Then downloaded the apps. The WX channel app is rather nice.

Thanks again.

Chief

 

Not all technical people feel that way. Tech Weenie is a term that has been around for a half century and isn't a term that is considered an insult unless the sentence it is used in makes it an insult. It is a term that recognizes some people have more skills/interest in a certain area of expertise than others. However, some people can choose to be insulted by any term.

If you have the factory Nav system installed on the car you don't need OnStar navigation. If you want to use an app like Google Maps you don't need OnStar navigation. If you don't want OnStar navigation but you want OnStar you can purchase the Protection Plan instead which doesn't include Navigation and costs less.

As for questions about playing various types of media see this link to the Chevy Owner's center for 2017 Corvettes:
https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam...nk2ndPrint.pdf

Bill

 

As I said, nobody I know who is technically inclined appreciates being called a weenie. Nothing in the word "weenie" adds to the recognization of a person having more skills/interest in tech. In fact, looking up the definition of the word "weenie" reveals the plain definition as "a frankfurter or similar sausage" but we all know that that's not what's being said here.

Looking at the other definitions we have "A scared person who is afraid to take chances or step out of their comfort zone. Usually, this word is used to describe a person who is afraid to go after the boy or girl that they like" from the Urban Dictionary - not quite a badge of honor. And YourDictionary describes it as "Weenie is a vulgar term for a man's ***** or is a slang and disrespectful term for someone who is socially inept, uncool or wimpy". Even Dictionary.com defines it as '"frankfurter," 1906, with slang sense of "*****" following soon after, from German wienerwurst "Vienna sausage" (see wiener). Meaning "ineffectual person" is 1963; pejorative sense via ***** shape, or perhaps from weenie in the sense of "small"'.

Your claim that "weenie" is not generally considered a derogatory term is incorrect, even 59 years ago! I think it's time for you to buy some updated dictionaries...

If the OP meant it as a term indicating somebody highly skilled in the area one could have used a term like "tech guru" or "tech expert" or even "tech enthusiast" etc. but to use the phrase "tech weenie" does not mean, Bill, what you are proposing. It's more akin to "tech nerd" and no that's not a compliment either (save the fact that what you call the tech "nerds" have pretty much taken over the world).

I know, the OP understands this now and that's cool. But Bill, don't try to perpetuate the myth that the phrases "tech weenie" or "tech nerd" are anywhere close to compliments.

 

I haven't worked my butt off in a 30 year career in technology to be called a "weenie" or "nerd" in reference to my profession or any other part of my life for that matter. Not sure who you hang with or why you are accepting of referring to anyone with a derogatory term like that, but if I walked up to any of my technology friends or coworkers and referred to them as weenies, I would expect to get popped in the mouth.

And before anyone says "lighten up it's just a word", I've got damn thick skin and won't lose any sleep over this, but I am tired of ignorant people demeaning my profession that they are incapable of even comprehending what I do with ignorant labels.

The same way it's improper to refer to a physician as a "medical weenie" or an attorney as a "law weenie" or a "physicist" as a "science weenie".

 

Let's not forget that the so-called "N-word" (it's so ridiculous that we have to call it the N-word when everybody knows what the actual word is) is also "just a word"...

 

Apologies for the necro-post, but I I could use a little help with playing media.

I have a 2017 GS that I would like to just plug in my Android phone via USB, select media on the infotainment center and have it play music stored on my phone...without using AA.

I was messing with it again tonight and it has me stumped. I am able to make phone calls, but the system will not playback music, whether I have selected bluetooth or USB via the media selection. I've been able to play IHeratRadio from my Android phone with no problem, just not music media stored on the phone.

Ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

Thank you.

 

Ok, so unfortunately that isn't going to work. You either have to have an actual IPod, IPhone (I had a old IPhone 6s that I used), or put your music on a USB stick. Since the C7 has 3 USB ports, (one in the cubbie, and two in the armrest) it's not a problem. I had both an IPod (160GB) and a usb stick, and used the last port to plug in my Android phone when I wanted to use Android auto. You can connect the phone by bluetooth and play music, but you have to start the source on your phone...

My C8 is a pain because it doesn't accept an IPod or IPhone (older) at all all for music storage...

Granted, I could be wrong about the C7, as I never really delved into the infotainment manual to investigate. But both the IPod and USB stick worked.

 

So I guess that I need to just get used to using AA....

Thanks for the reply.